Royals Shut Down by Pirates 11-3
The Royals, missing most of their starting pitchers and losing others to injuries, hung around for 6 innings before the Pirates ran away with an 11-3 victory. They did show their depth, as 7 pitchers toed the rubber and kept the game competitive most of the way, striking out 13 in the loss. Unfortunately, the offense didn't do much on their side, mounting just 6 hits and striking out 9 times.
One of the few bright spots this game was the debut of Taylor Kahanowitch, Brett's younger, better looking (according to Taylor) brother. He threw one inning, walking one while striking out 3.
Offensively, Ryan Elliott and Brett Kahanowitch each had 2 hits, and Dan Lebsock and Chris Powell each had 1.
In the field, Lebsock threw out his 13th runner of the season, and Chris Blum made a perfect throw from left field to cut down a runner at the plate.
Congrats to the Pirates on a solid game. We threw everything we had at them (both literally and figuratively), and they kept up the pressure, plating 6 runs over the final 3 frames to put the game on ice.
Pitching
Chris Miller - L, IP, 0ER, 2K, 4BB
Taylor Kahanowitch - IP, 0ER, 3K, BB
Brett Kahanowitch - IP, ER, H, 2K, BB
Jay Wasserman - 2IP, ER, 4H, 2K, 2BB
Chris Powell - 2.1IP, 5ER, 6H, 3K, BB, 2HBP
Mat Gonzalez - .2IP, 0ER, 0H
Greg Falk - IP, ER, 2H, K
Batting
Brett Kahanowitch - 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, SB, CS
Ryan Elliott - 2-3
Chris Powell - 1-3, R
Daniel Lebsock - 1-3, R
Sean Spires - 0-3, SB
Pitching Dominant in 13-1 Victory Over Blitzkrieg
The Royals' pitching staff continued to be source of strength, allowing only 5 hits in a 13-1 win over the Blitzkrieg. And while the second half of the season began on a high note for the boys in baby blue, they got an even bigger lift as former team MVP Brett Kahanowitch returned to the squad after a year in grad school.
The Royals started off strong, with Greg Falk (filling in for Sean "I Forgot What Time The Game Was" Spires) reaching on a lead-off single and swiping second. Dominic Archey would walk, but one out later, Mike Miller would line out to the first baseman, who would easily turn the double play and end the rally.
New Royal Mathew Gonzales would take the mound and work a quiet first. With 2 outs in the second, Chris Blum would double. Ryan Elliott would walk, and Chris Miller would single to load the bases. Super-hot Jason Bolding (that sounded better in my head) would line a 2-run single to right-center to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
Gonzales would work around a single in the second, striking out 2 in the inning, and the Royals would pick right back up in the 3rd. Dennis King III would lead off with a double and score on Greg Falk's first rbi of the season. After Falk is caught stealing, Archey would walk and Brett Kahanowitch would begin to petition for his "middle-of-the-lineup" job back - lining a single to left. Mike Miller would ground out to bring home one. and after a Jay Wasserman walk, Kahanowitch would take home on a passed ball, giving the Royals a 5-0 lead.
After another quiet inning behind Gonzales, the Royals would score again. Blum would lead off with another double, and score on a 2-out Jason Bolding double.
Dennis King III would take the mound for the Royals and strike out a pair in the 4th. With 1 out in the top of the 5th, Chris Middleton would walk, and after Greg Falk reached on an error, Dominic Archey would line a ball over the center fielder's head to the deepest part of the field for an inside-the-park home run - his first home run as a Royal! Kahanowitch would then walk, taking second on a steal, and third when the defense forgot to pay attention to him. Jay "Mr. RBI" Wasserman would quickly drive in Kahanowitch, and the Royals would lead 10-0.
King would work around an error and a single in the bottom of the inning, and the Royals would continue their offensive onslaught in the 6th. Ryan Elliott would single, and take 2 extra bases on errors (exactly like in the 9th inning of last week's game - someone has a new signature move!) Chris Miller would walk, and Jason Bolding would beat out a potential double-play ball to plate Elliott and give the Royals an 11-0 lead.
After King would start the bottom of the 5th with a strikeout, a runner would reach on an error. Not to worry - catcher Daniel Lebsock would throw out the potential base thief one pitch later. The next batter would walk, but would tempt fate and challenge Lebsock's arm again. Bad idea - Lebsock would gun his second runner of the inning, making it 12 caught runners on the year!
In the top of the 7th, Chris Middleton would single with 1 out, and Greg Falk would reach on a fielder's choice/error with 2 outs. After Archey would walk for the 3rd time on the day, Kahanowitch would line a 2-run double to left center and give the Royals a 13-0 lead.
Leading off the bottom of the 7th, Daniel Lebsock would flash the leather and grab a pop-up along the backstop for the first out. But the Blitzkrieg offense would finally get to King, and a double followed by a single would plate their first run of the day. The next batter, though, would ground into a game-ending double play.
Good luck the rest of the season to the Blitzkrieg.
And finally, congrats to Dominic Archey for his first career home run, Greg Falk for his first career rbi, and Dennis King for his first career win as a Royal! Way to go, guys!
Pitching
Mathew Gonzales - 3IP, 0ER, 2H, 4K
Dennis King III - W, 4IP, ER, 3H, 4K, BB
Batting
Dominic Archey - 1-1, HR, 2R, 3RBI, 3BB
Jason Bolding - 2-3, 2B, 4RBI, SB
Brett Kahanowitch - 2-3, 2B, 2R, 2RBI, BB, SB
Greg Falk - 2-4, 2R, RBI, SB
Chris Blum - 2-3, 2-2B, 2R
Jay Wasserman - 1-2, RBI, BB
Ryan Elliott - 1-2, 2R, BB
Dennis King III - 1-3, 2B, R
Chris Middleton - 1-1, 2R
Chris Miller - 1-2, BB
Mike Miller - 0-4, RBI
Daniel Lebsock - 0-3
Bobby Calzadillas - 0-3
Chris Powell - 0-1
Royals Walk-Off in Exciting Win Vs Arsenal
Having seen the Arsenal twice in the pre-season, and with 4 current Arsenal members being Royal alumni, these two squads were very familiar with each other - and boy did it show. After all was said and done, both sides had 16 hits and 4 errors, with the Royals escaping with a 12-11 victory at windy Poly High School. 4 Royals legged out triples, and Mike Miller fell just a home run short of the cycle. But it was veteran Chris "Mr. Go" Powell who came through with 4 strong innings of relief and his second walk-off hit of the season to lead the way for the Royals.
Mike Miller would take the mound for the Royals and throw well, allowing only 1 hit in the first inning. But 3 errors on the right side of the infield would lead to 3 unearned runs and a quick 3-0 deficit. But the Royals would respond in the bottom of the inning. Chris Powell would single, and with 2 outs, Miller would lift a wind-aided double to right for one run. Jay Wasserman would double home Miller, and Dan Lebsock would triple home Wasserman, tying the score at 3.
Miller would work around a leadoff double in the 2nd, and the Royals would strike again. Robert Padilla would reach on a 2-out fielder's choice, and Jason Bolding would triple him home to give the Royals a 4-3 lead.
But the Arsenal would load the bases and chase Miller from the game, and Dennis King III would take over. 2 runs would end up scoring, and another 2 in the top of the 4th, giving the Arsenal a 7-4 lead.
In the bottom of the 4th, Chris Blum would hit a 1-out triple, scoring on a Chris Middleton fielder's choice. With 2 outs, back-to-back-to-back singles by Ryan Elliott, Robert Padilla and Jason Bolding would make it a 7-6 game.
The Arsenal would score one in the top of the 5th, and another in the top of the 6th off reliever Chris Powell.
Both teams would go quietly in the 7th, and the Arsenal would attack again in the top of the 8th, plating 2 more to take an 11-6 lead.
With 6 outs remaining, the Royals would need to act fast if they were going to salvage a Mother's Day victory. Chris Powell would lead off and get hit by his 7th pitch in 10 games. Dominic Archey would single off the mound, and clean-up hitter Mike Miller would belt a triple to the wall in left center to plate the pair. Wasserman would reach on a fielder's choice, and Dan Lebsock would hit a sac-line-drive to left field to plate Miller and cut the Arsenal lead to 11-9.
Powell would work around a 2-out double in the 9th, and the Royals would need a big inning from the bottom of their lineup to pull things out. 9-hitter Ryan Elliott would lead off with a ground ball to second, but a bad throw (or two) later and Elliott would be standing on third with no outs. Robert Padilla would line a 3-1 single into right center to put the tying run on base. Greg Falk would pinch run and quickly swipe second (his second stolen base on the day.) After a line-out to shortstop NEARLY ended the rally (Falk is usually the king of the line-drive-double-play), Sean Spires would crush a ground ball to third that would be too hot to handle. With a pair of rabbits on base and the walk-off hero from a few weeks ago (Chris Powell) at the plate, the Royals would waste little time. Powell would line the second pitch he saw into right field, plating Falk to tie the game. Spires, running hard on the hit, drew the throw to third. The throw, however, would be offline and skip away from the third baseman, and Spires would sprint home with the game-winning run.
Congrats to the Arsenal on a great game - the 4 ex-Royals alone would combine to go 9 for 16, including 4 doubles, a triple and a home run. In the end, it came down to whoever had the bat in their hands when time expired, and today it was the Royals. Good luck the rest of the season!
Pitching
Mike Miller - 2.1IP, 2ER, 5H, 2K, 2BB, 2HBP
Dennis King III - 2.2IP, 3ER, 4H, 2K, HBP
Chris Powell - W, 4IP, 2ER, 7H, 5K, BB, HBP
Batting
Mike Miller - 3-4, 2B, 3B, 2R, 3RBI
Ryan Elliott - 3-4, 2R
Chris Powell - 2-4, 2R, RBI, HBP
Robert Padilla - 2-3, R, BB
Jason Bolding - 2-4, 3B, 2RBI
Daniel Lebsock - 1-3, 3B, 2RBI
Jay Wasserman - 1-4, 2B, R, RBI
Chris Blum - 1-4, 3B, R
Dominic Archey - 1-4, R
Chris Middleton - 0-4, RBI
Sean Spires - 0-5, R, SB
Greg Falk - 0-0, R, 2SB
Royals Flat in Loss to Mudhens
The Royals came out flat on Sunday, and aside from a late offensive surge (including leaving the bases loaded in each of the final 2 innings), they showed little life on either side of the ball as the Mudhens scored early and often in an 11-7 victory over the boys in baby blue.
The Royals went scoreless in the first for only the second time this season. Joan Socarras took the hill for the Royals, but was shaky from the beginning. He issued 4 walks in the first, but was saved from any damage by catcher Dan Lebsock, who threw out his 9th runner of the year.
In the top of the 2nd, the Royals would strike first. Mike Miller and Jay Wasserman would lead off with back-to-back singles. After a fielder's choice would cut down the lead runner, Dan Lebsock would single home one, and the Royals would lead 1-0.
Working around a walk and a single, Socarras would retire the Mudhens in the 2nd. But in the bottom of the 3rd, the Hens would strike back. 2 home runs, a single, 2 walks and a ruptured blister on his throwing hand would chase Socarras from the game. Dennis King III would come in and get out of the jam, but not before the Mudhens had taken a 6-1 lead.
The Royals would respond in the 4th. Sean Spires would lead off with a double, and Chris Powell would follow by getting hit by a pitch for the 6th time in 9 games (and the 17th time in 43 games, 3 shy of the all-time Royals record.) After a double steal, Dominic Archey would ground out to plate one, and Mike Miller would notch an infield single to plate another, cutting the lead temporarily to 6-3.
But the Hens seemed to have an answer for everything today. In the bottom of the inning, Dennis King would walk the first batter he faced, and after 2 more pitches, would call time and nearly collapse on the mound, severely dehydrated after a week of the flu. Jay Wasserman would be called in to relieve, but after a sac fly and a double play-gone-wrong, the Hens would launch their 3rd home run of the day to take a 9-3 lead.
Neither team made much noise until the 6th. Chris Middleton would lead off with a double to the wall in center, moving to third on a Jason Bolding single, and scoring on a Sean Spires single. But with 2 on and no outs, the 2-3-4 hitters for the Royals couldn't produce. The Hens would answer with 2 more in the bottom of the inning, stretching their lead to 11-4.
Wasserman would hand the ball over to rookie Greg Falk, who would pitch 2 scoreless innings of relief for the Royals.
The Royals would threaten in the top of the 8th, loading the bases with 2 outs, but the Hens would escape the jam.
Leading off the top of the 9th and still trailing by 7, Dominic Archey would walk and move to second on Mike Miller's 3rd hit of the game. Jay Wasserman would single to center (his 3rd time reaching safely) to load the bases, and 1 out later, Chris Blum would come through with a 2-run single. After a strikeout, Ryan Elliott would single home another, and Chris Middleton would walk to load the bases. As the tying run at the plate, Jason Bolding would work a 8-pitch at bat before the field umpire, on the 3rd base side of the mound, would call him out on a questionable check-swing to end the game. (He must have better eyes than me, because I was coaching first and it was close - but I'm sorry, there's NO WAY anyone on the other side of the field can make that call on a right-handed batter with any degree of certainty.)
Congrats to the Mudhens - they kept the pressure on all game and had an answer every time the Royals offense made any noise. Their tenacity speaks to why they're one of the hottest teams in the league right now.
And finally, congrats to Chris Powell, who moved into sole possession of 3rd place on the all-time Royals hit by pitch list. Talk about a team player - he's getting hit about once every 2.5 games! Mr. Go!
Pitching
Joan Socarras - L, 2.1IP, 5ER,5H, 3K, 6BB
Dennis King III - .2IP, ER, H, 2BB
Jay Wasserman - 3IP, 3ER, 5H, 3K, BB
Greg Falk - 2IP, 0ER, 0H, K, BB
Batting
Mike Miller - 3-4, R, RBI
Sean Spires - 2-3, 2B, RBI, R, BB, SB
Jay Wasserman - 2-3, 2R, BB
Dan Lebsock - 2-4, RBI
Jason Bolding - 2-4
Chris Middleton - 1-3, 2B, R, BB
Chris Powell - 1-3, R, HBP
Chris Blum - 1-4, 2RBI
Ryan Elliott - 1-4, RBI
Dominic Archey - 0-3, R, RBI, BB
Bobby Calzadillas - 0-4
Greg Falk - 0-0, SB
More Strong Pitching Leads Royals to Windy Win
The Royals got another strong day of pitching, this time out of Chris Powell and Eric Bloom, as they held off a strong Dodo's squad 12-6 in the windy confines of Granada Hills High School. Said one unnamed Royal, "The wind was blowing so hard that it took the lid off my pre-game Jamba Juice!" Now THAT'S windy!
On to the game - Chris Powell would allow a leadoff hit for the Dodos, but quickly pick him off first and get out of the inning unscathed. And for the 7th straight week, the Royals put up runs in the first. With the wind blowing out of left, leadoff man Sean Spires took full advantage and launched the 5th pitch of the game out for a solo home run. Powell would single, and Dominic Archey would walk. After a Mike Miller fielder's choice would move Powell to third, Jay "Mr. RBI" Wasserman would single home Powell to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the 3rd, several Royal miscues (on the same play) and a debatable call at third on a stolen base attempt would lead to 2 unearned runs, and a solo home run in the top of the 4th would give the Dodos the lead. Powell would settle down and work through the 5th, keeping the score at 3-2.
The Royals offense would pick up in the bottom of the inning. Chris Middleton, fresh from a 20+ hour car ride from Colorado, would single to lead off the inning. One out later, Sean Spires would walk, and Chris Powell would follow him with an rbi-single, tying things up at 3. Dominic Archey would walk to load the bases, and Mike Miller would hit an rbi-ground out to give the Royals the lead. Now with 2 outs, Mr. RBI would come through again - Wasserman singles to right for 2 more runs. Bobby Calzadillas would single, and both men would score on back-to-back singles from Dan Lebsock and Ryan Elliott. All told, the Royals would plate 6 on 4 2-out hits, giving them an 8-3 lead.
Eric Bloom would enter the game for the Royals, and be met right away with a home run. The Dodos would put 2 men on, but backstop Daniel Lebsock would throw out his 8th runner of the year and limit the damage to 1. The Royals would immediately answer back in the bottom of the inning. Jason Bolding would single and move to second on an Eric Bloom walk. After a double play, Sean Spires would come up with another big 2-out hit for the Royals, dropping a double into shallow center (Dee Gordon-style) to make it a 9-4 game.
The Dodos would find some 2-out magic themselves in the 7th and get a pair of runs, but the Royals bats were too hot. Dominic Archey would walk for the 3rd time, and move to second on a Mike Miller ground out. Jay Wasserman would come up and come through again with a single - his 4th rbi on the day - to give the Royals a 10-6 lead.
After a quiet top of the 8th, the Royals would cap off the day in the bottom of the inning. With 2 outs yet again, Pinch hitter Dennis King III would single, and following singles by Eric Bloom and Chris Miller, the bases would be loaded. Sean Spires would walk and Chris Powell would get hit by a pitch, each knocking in a run. Dominic Archey would laser a ball to short, but come up empty, and the Royals would enter the 9th up 12-6.
That was plenty of rope for Bloom, who would strike out the side after allowing a lead off single to notch his first save of the year.
Congrats to the Dodos for a great game - they're definitely one of the better teams in the division. Good luck the rest of the way!
Pitching
Chris Powell - W, 5IP, ER, 3K, 6H
Eric Bloom - S, 4IP, 3ER, 7K, 4H, 3BB
Batting
Jay Wasserman - 3-4, R, 4RBI
Sean Spires - 2-3, HR, 2B, 2R, 3RBI, 2BB
Chris Powell - 2-4, 2R, 2RBI, HBP
Daniel Lebsock - 2-4
Ryan Elliott - 1-3, RBI, HBP
Jason Bolding - 1-2, R, BB
Chris Middleton - 1-3, R
Eric Bloom - 1-1, R, BB
Dennis King III - 1-1, R
Bobby Calzadillas - 1-4, R
Chris Miller - 1-2
Dominic Archey - 0-2, 2R, 3BB
Mike Miller - 0-4, RBI
Greg Falk - 0-1, SB
Royals Celebrate Old Timers' Day With A 6-5 Walk-Off Win
The Royals bats cooled off over the holiday weekend, but the 3 oldest guys on the team had big days, putting the team on their backs and eventually carrying them to victory over a very solid Grenade Launcher team. While veterans Mike Miller (1-3, 2B, 2 runs, HBP) and Jay Wasserman (1-2, 2BB) would do their part, fellow veteran Chris Powell (3-4, 2B, RBI, HBP) would pitch the final 2 innings for the win, as well hit a walk-off single to finish things off with the bat.
Playing with a super short squad, the Royals were forced to call in a pair of fill-ins and a pitcher who hasn't thrown for them in almost a year. Akash Shah, who has been battling shoulder fatigue and was shut down around this time last year, took the bump for his first start of the season. He'd work in and out of trouble in the first, striking out one with a splitter that left the batter shaking his head and muttering to himself.
For the 6th straight game, the Royals would get on the board in the first. Sean Spires would single and move into scoring position on a Chris Powell single. Bobby Calzadillas would beat out a potential double-play ground ball, with the speedy Spires scoring all the way from second, and just like that, the Royals would lead 1-0.
After a quiet second for both squads, the Grenade Launchers would do some damage in the 3rd. 9 batters would come to the plate, but Shah would escape only allowing 3 by leaving the bases loaded. The Royals would respond right away. Dennis King III would reach on an infield single, move to third on fill-in Kevin Posey's single, and score on a Sean Spires double play ground out.
King would come in to pitch for the Royals and quiet the Grenade Launcher momentum. Heading into the bottom of the 5th, the Royals were still facing a 3-2 deficit.
Fill-in Canaan Cain would single and move to second on a passed ball. With 2 outs, Sean Spires would prove that he was fully back from his wrist injury, blasting a double over the left fielder's head to tie the game.
Leading off the 6th and facing a new pitcher, Mike Miller would lace a double of his own to the gap in left center, move to 3rd on a selfless Jay Wasserman ground out to the right side, and score the go-ahead run on a Chris Blum single.
Heading into the top of the 8th, King had been cruising through the Grenade Launcher lineup. But a leadoff walk, followed by a triple over center, would chase King from the game and bring in southpaw Chris Powell. The Launchers would greet him with a perfectly executed squeeze play to take a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the 8th.
Mike Miller would lead off and take a pitch in the ribs. He'd aggressively take second on a ball in the dirt, and after a Jay Wasserman walk, both runners would advance on another passed ball. But 2 quick outs and the Royals were looking at trouble. Cain would work a 7 pitch walk, and as ball 4 squeaked away from the catcher, head's up baserunning by Miller would score the tying run. The Launchers would get out of the inning allowing 1 run on no hits, but heading into the 9th, the score was all tied up.
Powell would be masterful in the top of the 9th, striking out 1 while working around a 2-out single and nearly picking the runner off first 1 pitch later. All told, the Royals were heading into the bottom of the 9th tied up, with their 10-1-2 hitters due up.
The first hitter, Kevin Posey, would work a full count before launching a triple to deep left center, diving in headfirst to third base and forcing the Grenade Launcher infield to play in. After a strikeout, Powell was not going to let this game end in a tie. He'd bounce a ball up the middle, through the drawn-in infield, and the Royals would celebrate Easter weekend with an exciting win.
Congrats to the Grenade Launchers, as they played an outstanding game - WELL above what their record indicated. They should be a force in this league for years to come.
And while everyone on the Royals played hard for a full 9, special thanks go out to Akash Shah, Canaan Cain and Kevin Posey for stepping up and making sure we had a full squad to play with. Each one of you made a big impact in this victory and wore your baby blues proud!
And finally, congrats go out to Mike Miller for reaching a milestone. His game-tying run in the 8th inning was the 250th run in his career!
Pitching
Akash Shah - 3IP, 3ER, 2K, 4H, 4BB, HBP
Dennis King III - 4IP, 2ER, 2K, 2H, 3BB
Chris Powell - W, 2IP, 0R, 2K, 2H
Batting
Chris Powell - 3-4, 2B, RBI, HBP
Sean Spires - 3-5, 2B, R, RBI, SB
Kevin Posey - 2-4, 3B, R
Chris Blum - 2-4, RBI
Mike Miller - 1-3, 2B, 2R, HBP
Jay Wasserman - 1-2, 2BB
Canaan Cain - 1-2, R, 2BB, SB
Dennis King III - 1-3, R, BB
Bobby Calzadillas - 0-4, RBI
Ryan Elliott - 0-4
Royals Cool Down, Fall to AquaSox 12-3
The Royals hot bats and hotter pitching fell flat on Sunday, as they couldn't get anything going on either side of the ball. Pitchers walked a season high 9 batters, while batters struck out a season high 8 times in the loss.
As normal, the offense got going with a bang. Chris Powell would walk, and pinch runner Sean Spires would steal his 10th bag of the season. With 2 outs, Mike Miller would line a single to right to take an early 1-0 lead.
Joan Socarras would take the hill for the Royals, only to have his worst outing in 2 years. 3 quick runs in the first would give the Sox a 3-1 lead.
Dominic Archey would lead off the 2nd with a single and take second on a passed ball. Chris Middleton would bounce a single over the third baseman's head to plate Archey and make it a 3-2 game.
But the Sox would answer back in the bottom of the 3rd, plating 2 quick runs and loading the bases with no outs to threaten some more. But Socarras would get some strong defense from Greg Falk (gunning a runner at home) and Ryan Elliott (turning a 5-3 double play) to get out of the jam.
The Royals would come out swinging in the 4th. Chris Blum would blast a double off the wall in left (just missing his first career home run), and would score 3 pitches later on a Dominic Archey single. After a double play, Chris Middleton and Chris Miller would each single, and Sean Spires would walk to load the bases, but the Sox would escape the jam.
Chris Powell would take the mound against his old squad, but some shoddy defense behind him would lead to 3 runs, making it an 8-3 game.
The Royals would threaten again in the 6th, as Blum would double to lead off the inning. Archey would single into shallow left, but a good throw by the left fielder and a bad call by the home plate umpire would nail Blum at home. Elliott would single, but the momentum was already swinging towards the Sox.
The Sox would score 3 more in the 7th, and 1 in the 9th (the last off flame thrower Dennis King III) to put the game away 12-3.
Congrats to the Sox for a clean win.
Pitching
Joan Socarras - L, 3IP, 5ER, 3K, 6H, 3BB
Chris Powell - 4IP, 4ER, 3K, 4H, 2BB
Dennis King III - IP, ER, 2K, 4BB
Batting
Dominic Archey - 3-3, R, RBI
Chris Blum - 2-2, 2 2B, R
Chris Middleton - 2-4, RBI
Ryan Elliott - 2-2
Mike Miller - 1-3, RBI, BB
Chris Miller - 1-3
Bobby Calzadillas - 1-4
Sean Spires - 0-3, BB, SB
Chris Powell - 0-3, R, BB
Daniel Lebsock - 0-3, BB
Greg Falk - 0-1
Pitching Dominates Again, Royals Win 8-1 Over Warhawks
The Royals pitching staff continued to dominate as 4 different pitchers combined to allow only 6 hits in an 8-1 victory over the Warhawks (a win that was much closer than the final score would demonstrate.) Chris Powell and Dan Lebsock had 2 hits a piece, while Lebsock threw out 2 more potential base stealers from behind the dish, giving him 6 caught runners in his first 5 games as a Royal.
Another hot first inning would give the Royals an early lead. Chris Powell would walk, and pinch runner Sean Spires would swipe second. With 2 outs, Mike Miller would belt his 4th double of the year, plating Spires. Jay Wasserman would reach on a hit by pitch, and swipe second for his 2nd career stolen base! But the Warhawks would get out of the jam and keep the score 1-0.
Eric Bloom would get his first start on the hill and would be nearly unhittable. A pair of doubles would be all he gave up while striking out 6 Warhawks over 4 innings.
Meanwhile, the Royals offense kept applying the pressure. In the 2nd, Dominic Archey, just back the DL, would single and move to 3rd on a deep fly ball/error off the bat of Chris Middleton, who hustled all the way out of the box and would have had 3 bases if it weren't for Archey's balky groin. Chris Miller would ground out to plate one, and Robert Padilla would single home another to give the Royals a 3-0 lead.
In the 4th, Dan Lebsock would lead off with a single, and move to second on a Chris Blum walk. With 2 outs, Chris Miller would hit an infield single to 2nd to plate Lebsock (which, if not for a web gem by the 2nd baseman, would have plated both runners.) After 4 in the books, the Royals would lead 4-0.
Heading into the 5th, the Royals would turn it over to rookie Shawn Smith. Smith would strike out 5 batters in his 2 innings of work, giving the Royals offense time to score again. In the bottom of the 6th, Mike Miller would lead off with a walk and move to 2nd on a Dan Lebsock single. After a Chris Blum walk to load the bases, Dominic Archey would hit a sac fly to center to plate Miller and give the Royals a 5-0 lead.
Bobby Calzadillas would enter in the 7th and pick up where the Bloom and Smith left off. After a runner reached on a walk, Lebsock would throw him out stealing - the second attempted thief he'd catch on the day - and Calzadillas would cruise over the next 2 scoreless innings.
But the Royals offense wasn't done yet. In the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs, pinch hitter Greg Falk would walk. Sean Spires speed would lead to an error at second, and he would move into scoring position himself by stealing his 4th base of the day. That must have shaken the pitcher, as he uncorked a wild pitch to score Falk, and a bad throw back from the catcher would allow Spires to score on the same play. Chris Powell would walk, and Calzadillas would blast a double to the wall in left-center to cap the scoring, handing an 8-0 lead to closer-of-the-day Chris Miller.
Miller would give up a mammoth leadoff home run to break up the shut out, but would then settle down and strike out the side to give the Royals their 4th victory of the season.
Congrats go out to the Warhawks - they played a great game to keep the score close most of the day.
And congrats go to Shawn Smith, for notching his first victory in baby blue!
Pitching
Eric Bloom - 4IP, 0ER, 6K, 2H, BB, HBP
Shawn Smith - W, 2IP, 0ER, 5K, H, BB
Bobby Calzadillas - 2IP, 0ER, K, 2H, BB, HBP
Chris Miller - IP, ER, 3K, 2H, BB, HBP
Batting
Chris Powell - 2-2, 2R, 2BB
Dan Lebsock - 2-4, R
Mike Miller - 1-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB
Bobby Calzadillas - 1-4, 2B, RBI
Dominic Archey - 1-2, R, RBI, SACF
Chris Miller - 1-2, 2RBI
Robert Padilla - 1-3, RBI
Sean Spires - 0-4, R, 4SB
Jay Wasserman - 0-2, 2BB, SB
Greg Falk - 0-0, R, BB, SB
Chris Middleton - 0-3, R, HBP
Chris Blum - 0-2, 2BB
Dennis King III - 0-0, BB
Royals Pitching Quiets Knights Bats in 10-2 Win
Coming off a big win last week, the Knights' bats were looking pretty hot. But dominant pitching and solid defense kept the Knights off the bases, and the Royals' bats continued to be strong. Led by catcher Dan Lebsock's 4-hit day, the boys in baby blue pounded out 10 runs on 16 hits for a 10-2 win over one of the nicest teams in the league.
The Royals started the game hot again, as has been the trend this season. After 2 quick outs, and with normal 3-hole hitter Bobby Calzadillas out of town, catcher Dan Lebsock stepped up and lined a single to center. Mike Miller followed with a single of his own, moving to second on the throw into the infield. Rbi-machine Jay Wasserman came through as he has all season, lining a 2-run single to center to give the Royals a 2-run lead.
Cuban sensation Joan Socarras, coming back from shoulder issues the past 2 season, stepped up for his first start of the season. He would work a quiet, 2 strikeout inning to bring the Royals up again.
Ryan Elliott would lead off the second, fresh off offseason ACL surgery (we hope his orthopoedic surgeon doesn't read this site.) He'd quickly line a single to center to kick off his season. After a fielder's choice, Chris Middleton would rebound from an off week with a line drive single of his own, putting 2 on with 1 out. Greg Falk, aka Mr. line-drive-double-play, would come up and hit a sinking liner to right field, which would amazingly turn into the 3rd line-drive-double-play he's been a part of in 3 games, to get the Knights out of the jam.
Socarras would work around a single and hit batsman to get out of the second, and the top of the Royals lineup would come through again. Chris Powell would get hit for the 3rd time this season, and Lebsock would single. Miller would hit a fly ball into the wind in shallow center for a single to load the bases, and with 2 outs, Chris Blum would blast a ball just fair down the left field line, clearing the bases and giving the Royals a 5-0 lead.
Heading into the bottom of the 3rd, the Royals would turn to knuckleballer Eric Bloom. For the next 4 innings, Bloom would face no more than 4 batters per frame, striking out 4 in the span.
Unfortunately for the Royals, their bats would cool off as well. 6 men would reach base over the next 4 innings, but they would have no runs to show for it. Heading into the bottom of the 7th, they'd hand the ball to veteran lefthander Jay Wasserman, one of the longest-tenured members of the Royals. He would work around a pair of singles to retire the side, giving the Royals' bats a chance to wake up.
With 1 out, Powell would single to right and Lebsock would follow him with his 4th single of the day. Mike Miller would walk to load the bases, and Wasserman would ground out to plate 1, expanding the lead to 6-0.
The Royals would turn to Dennis King III to close things out, but after a leadoff single in the bottom of the 8th, 2 errors would break up the shutout and make it a 6-1 game heading into the 9th.
The 9th inning brought a new pitcher from the Knights, and the Royals took full advantage. Starting with back to back walks to Ryan Elliot and Jason Bolding, Middleton would grab his wood bat and lace a double to left center to plate the pair. King would reach on a dropped third strike, and back-to-back-to-back walks to pinch hitter Eric Bloom, Sean Spires and Chris Powell would plate 2 more.
King would walk a few batters in the bottom of the frame to plate 1, but it was moot by that point as the Royals would end the game leading 10-2.
Congrats to the Knights for a great game - they played well above what their record showed, keeping it a 5-run game into the 8th.
And congrats go out to Eric Bloom, who picked up his first win as a Royal, and to Dennis King III, for grabbing his first save.
Pitching
Joan Socarres - 2IP, 0ER, 2K, H, HBP
Eric Bloom - W, 4IP, 0ER, 3K, 3H
Jay Wasserman - IP, 0ER, K, 2H
Dennis King III - S, 2IP, ER, 2K, H, 3BB
Batting
Dan Lebsock - 4-5, 2R
Chris Middleton - 2-4, 2B, R, 2RBI
Mike Miller - 2-3, 2R, BB
Ryan Elliott - 2-3, R, BB
Chris Powell - 1-3, 2R, 2RBI, HBP, BB
Sean Spires - 1-4, BB, SB
Jay Wasserman - 1-4, 3RBI
Chris Blum - 1-4, 2B, 3RBI
Jason Bolding - 1-3, R, BB, SB
Dennis King - 1-3, R
Bombers Walk-Off With 3 in the 9th
The Royals let one slip through their fingers as the Bombers plated 3 in the bottom of the 9th to walk off with the win. The loss wasn't the worst thing that happened on the day, as their injury-plagued starting centerfielder Dominic Archey went down with a strained groin (at least he didn't hit himself in the face again.)
The Royals offense started off strong, as leadoff man Sean Spires kicked things off with a single. Chris Powell followed with a double, and Bobby Calzadillas knocked in a run with a fielder's choice/error. Mike Miller belted a 75-foot rbi-infield single, and Jay Wasserman brought home another on a double play ball. Calzadillas would take the mound for his first start of the year and work a quiet first, leaving the score 3-0 after 1.
The Royals kept up the pressure in the 2nd. Dan Lebsock reached on an error, going all the way to third on a routine ground ball. Robert Padilla would bring him home on a ground out, and the Royals would lead 4-0.
The Bombers would respond with 1 of their own, but the Royals would answer back in the 3rd. Mike Miller would walk to lead things off, and move to third on a Jay Wasserman ground ball/error. Dominic Archey would single home Miller, and one out later, Lebsock would ground out to plate Wasserman, giving the Royals a 6-1 lead. But the Bombers would answer right back with 2 of their own to make it 6-3.
The 4th inning would feature more offense on both sides of the field. Jason Bolding would lace a single to left and score on a Sean Spires ground ball/error. One out later, Calzadillas would hit a deep sac fly to plate Spires, and the Royals would again lead by 5. But the Bombers would score once in each of the next 2 innings.
The Royals would continue to threaten in the 5th, as Wasserman would lead off with a walk. Archey would follow with a fielder's choice, but unfortunately, he'd strain his groin beating out the throw to first and would have to come out of the game. Pinch runner Greg Falk would swipe second and try to score on a Dan Lebsock single, only to be gunned at the plate (in a controversial no-slide/catcher-in-the-baseline call.) Looking back, this was the play that shifted the momentum in the game, as the Royals bats would go quiet. Another Bomber run in the bottom of the 5th followed by a mammoth 2-run home run to right center in the 6th would chase Calzadillas from the game with the score 8-7. Dennis King III would relieve and quiet the Bombers offense for the time being.
After another quiet inning from the Royals, the Bombers would put more runners on base in the 7th and 8th. But King would pick one man off, and Lebsock would throw out his second runner of the game to keep the Bombers off the scoreboard. Meanwhile, the Royals would score another in their half of the 8th. Pinch hitter Greg Falk would single - the first hit of his Royal's career - and Lebsock would double him home. Robert Padilla would single for his first Royals hit, but the Bombers would escape a bases loaded jam to keep the score at 9-7.
In the top of the 9th, the Royals would threaten to break the game open. Miller would reach on an error and move to 2nd on a Dennis King walk. With a full count and 1 out, both runners took off and Falk hit a sinking liner to center. The centerfielder made a diving catch and easily doubled up Miller to end the threat.
King would start the 9th on the hill, but a walk, a long fly out, an rbi-double and a hit batsman would end his afternoon with the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base. Chris Powell would come in and induce a ground ball, but it was just too slow for the solid Royals defense to turn 2. After a passed ball moved the go-ahead run into scoring position, and a walk put a force at any base with 2 outs, a ground ball just out of the reach of shortstop Falk would plate a pair and send the Bombers home in jubilation.
Congrats to the Bombers on a well-played game - they earned this one. And congrats go out to Greg Falk and Robert Padilla, who both got their first career hits.
Pitching
Bobby Calzadillas - 5.1IP, 4ER, 9H, K, 2BB
Dennis King III - 3IP, 2ER, 2H, K, 4BB, HBP
Chris Powell - L, .1IP, ER, H, BB
Batting
Sean Spires - 2-5, 2R, 2SB
Dan Lebsock - 2-4, 2B, R, 2RBI
Chris Powell - 1-3, 2B, R, 2BB
Mike Miller - 1-4, R, RBI, BB
Dominic Archey - 1-2, RBI, BB
Greg Falk - 1-2, R, SB
Robert Padilla - 1-3, RBI, BB
Jason Bolding - 1-4, R
Jay Wasserman 1-4, R, BB
Bobby Calzadillas - 0-3, R, 2RBI, BB, SACF
